Jesus Christ Flashcards
Specification for the Person of Jesus Christ
Son of God (divinity expressed in his knowledge of God, miracles, resurrection)
Teacher of wisdom (on repentance/forgiveness or inner purity and moral motivation)
Liberator (challenge to political and/or religious authority)
Which Gospels were the ‘synoptic gospels’
Mark, Matthew, Luke
Cover the same material
Why is the Gospel of John unique
Emphasised Jesus’ divinity the most
What does Son of God mean to Jews at the time of Jesus
The individual was CHOSEN BY GOD but not divine, as his representative on Earth. He would free Israel and be referred to as the ‘anointed one’.
Most believed this was NOT JESUS
What did the title of Son of God mean to gentiles at the time of Jesus
The individual was DIVINE
What does the title Son of God mean to Christians today
Combination of the Jewish and Gentile perspectives
A UNIQUE title that identifies the DIVINITY of Jesus
What is the Hypostatic Union
The accepted Christian belief that Jesus is FULLY HUMAN and FULLY DIVINE.
What is the heresy - ADOPTIONISM
2nd century, Jesus was ADOPTED by God at his baptism then God left him when he died on the cross
JESUS - NOT DIVINE
What is the heresy - Docetism
2nd century - Jesus simply APPEARED human but was actually DIVINE.
What is the heresy - Arianism
4th century- Jesus was more than human but less than God the Father. DIVINE BUT LESS IMPORTANT
What is a creed + which are the most well known
STATEMENT OF BELIEF
Apostles creed ‘only begotten son’
Nicene Creed ‘begotten of the Father’
Why was John’s Gospel (written 💯 AD) emphatic of divinity
-make Christian beliefs CLEARER
-distinguish Christianity from Judaism
What are the seven ‘I am’ sayings in John
7 sayings that distinguish the divinity of Jesus
For example ‘I am the bread of life’
Why do the seven I am statements indicate divinity
They are used in the OLD testament for the unspoken name of God, for example when God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush.
SHOWS HOW GOD AND JESUS ARE ONE
How did Jesus show his humanity
- showed emotion and anger (clearing the temple)
- showed fear of death (Garden of Gethsemane)
- disappointed with disciples
- tempted by the devil but did not sin
What shows that Jesus lacked full knowledge
Did not know who touched his cloak when healing the bleeding woman
Shows HUMANITY
How do signs of his humanity not disprove Jesus as divine
The hypostatic union views Him as fully human and fully divine, so it merely proves this doctrine, not discrediting divinity
Did Jesus ever use the title ‘Son of God’ for himself?
No, using ‘Son of Man’ instead. Perhaps to:
Warn off unwanted attention
Maybe Son of God was written in later to separate Early Christians from Jews
What suggests an intimate relationship between Jesus and God
- addressed God as ‘Abba’ or Dad
- prays to God ‘not as I will, but as you will’
- when lost in the Temple as a child he calls it ‘my father’s house’
Where in Johns Gospel does Jesus suggest he IS God
‘The Father and I are one’
‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’
Where in John does Jesus suggest he is LESSER than God
‘The Father is greater than I’
What did Karl Rahner refer to Jesus’ knowledge as
An Onion: top layers are human self awareness, deeper layers are divine consciousness
What did Gerard O’Collins say on the complexities of human emotion and mind
It is almost impossible to truly know oneself, applying to Jesus too. Difficult to study any part of the inner human experience, so knowing Jesus’ is impossible
What are the four areas of Jesus’ miracles
1.healing the sick
2.power over nature
3.exorcisms (casts out demons)
4.raising the dead
What was the greatest miracle
The resurrection, sets Jesus apart from other miracle workers
How does Jesus’ conception make him unique
Viewed as a miracle, Mary was a virgin and the pregnancy was the result of the Holy Spirit
How does Jesus’ relationship with God make him unique
God appears at his baptism and transfiguration, addressing Jesus as his son.
Baptism ‘This is my Son’
Miracles do NOT show divinity: magicians
Magicians were commonplace at Jesus’ time, they do not mean divinity